Protein and dietary fibre fermentation in the pig intestine may have harmful or beneficial effects on gut health and the environment. Fermentable fibres can be a source of energy for the pig and can also decrease ammonia concentration in the gut. Including fermentable fibre in swine diets reduced protein fermentation which can help decrease the negative effects of protein fermentation on pig health. The indigestible protein:non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) ratio and the NSP content have a major affect the short chain fatty acid and ammonia concentration in the intestine and nitrogen excretion. Accumulation of ammonia in the colon and nitrogen excretion were largely effected by the sources of indigestible protein and dietary fibre. Nitrogen excretion, enhanced bacterial fermentation and short chain fatty acid production in the intestine was found in peas and pea-fibre diets. Gut health could be improved and nitrogen excretion could be decreased by including pea and pea fibre in swine nutrition.
The Effect of Different Feed Ingredients on Fermentation Metabolites and Nitrogen Excretion in Pigs (full article)
